1. Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the challenge posed to you? Did it get you excited and why?

In the next decade, the use of LED bulbs will become mainstream due to their increased energy efficiency and the absence of toxic metals in their production. Although the price for an ~800-lumen LED bulb is quite expensive compared to an incandescent or CFL bulb, the energy savings over the lifetime of the bulb are significant.
Current packaging presents numerous problems including excessive use of plastic clamshell and complicated typographical information. Moreover, plastics are primarily manufactured from oil and natural gas, which are both non-renewable resources. In addition to the physical packaging, the label should clearly display information that will help consumers select the most efficient bulb for their lighting needs. This begins by emphasizing the bulbs’ brightness, as measured in lumens, replacing the outdated and misinformed unit of watts, which is actually a measurement of power. Current reliance on watt measurements alone has made it difficult for consumers to compare incandescent bulbs to more efficient bulbs. The label should also display the estimated yearly energy cost for the respective bulb. These changes employed in my design will be key drivers in helping consumers make educated decisions as they transition from obsolete bulbs to more energy-efficient types. Simultaneously, buyers will be contributing to the promotion of sustainability. My passion and excitement spawned from the possibility that my graphic and industrial design skills may encourage other markets to create environmental friendly products that still respond to the needs of the consumer.

2. What point of view did you bring to the challenge? Was there anything additional that you wanted to achieve with this project or bring to this project that was not part of the original brief?

My concentration lies in the intricacies of the packaging. As seen in current packaging design, the graphical aspects overpower the technical construction of the box, and this is a flaw. A thoroughly researched and frequently revised foundation is essential when perfecting something as delicate and complex, as a glue-free, sustainable box. While designing the package for the LED bulb required a deep knowledge and investigation of paper, folds, and graphical language, the prospect of developing a package capable of recycling dead bulbs, and still retaining its beautiful object-like qualities was exhilarating. As a result, I was able to develop a springy, protective, interior core made only of folded paper. This interior piece cushions the new or old bulb so that it remains in place and can handle disturbances during transport. The resulting combination of a durable outer shell and a flexible inner body creates a perfectly balanced box.

3. When designing this project, whose interests did you consider? (Discuss various stakeholders, audiences, retailing, manufacturing, assembly, distribution, etc., for example.)

I considered the fact that the use of plastic in packaging is no longer advantageous to the manufacturer and is most often disposed of improperly. As more people become knowledgeable about sustainability it was also important to investigate the mindset of consumers and how their behavior and attitudes influence their aspirations in terms of footprint on global sustainability. By producing the re-usable, recyclable packages, the future consumer will be more likely to recycle or consider the implications of recycling their bulbs and packages simultaneously, creating minimal amounts of waste.

4. Describe the rigor that informed your design. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) If this was a strictly research or strategy project, please provide more detail here.

For several months, I explored the potential of various papers. I experimented and tested for durability, flexibility, and memory. I compared and organized several papers until I had retained enough knowledge to match the appropriate papers with my vision for the packaging graphics. From here, I studied historical packaging techniques and paper engineering. My main historical reference is Josef Albers, and the design movement he was a part of at Bauhaus. During my private research, I studied under Matt Shlian, a current University of Michigan professor and internationally known paper engineer. From here, I began production and created countless iterations of my design with curiosity as my driving force. I had a desire to test every possibility and from that curiosity, grew a specific set of challenges. How few tabs are required to bind the paper together? How much force can one type of paper sustain over another? Which direction of forces would be most threatening to the bulb and how can it account for those forces? Often by answering my own questions, my curiosity only expanded. Not only does it drive me as I produce iterations, but it compels me to do further research.

5. What is the social value of your design? (Gladdening, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, labor-mindful, environmental, cultural, etc.) How does it earn its keep in the world?

Since this package is manufactured carbon neutral, from 100% post consumer recycled paper and without the use of any glue, it’s an extremely sustainable solution for packaging items. The design is meant to ultimately create a movement towards glue-free, plastic-less, globally sustainable packaging. With the appropriate graphic labels, focusing on lumens as opposed to watts and emphasizing annual economic savings for the consumer, the bulbs should be steadily purchased. With the bulb purchase and subsequent removal of its package for use, consumer interest in the unique packaging will be stimulated. The consumer will be encouraged to recycle their old bulbs using the highly flexible paper interior. The distinctive packaging and graphic label contrasts greatly from every light bulb package on the market today, and therefore would promote using glue-free packaging for all companies. In short, the sustainable nature of my packaging should ultimately create competition in the packaging world, pressing a green movement in other major companies who still continue to use wasteful products in the production of their packaging.

6. If you could have done one thing differently with the project, what would you have changed?

I would have added a bulb return system to the point-of-purchase display so that consumers could easily return the bulb directly to the store. That return system would work similar in concept to the “Spiral Wishing Well Coin Funnel” used by charities. The wishing well provides a visual response to an action produced by the viewer. When a viewer drops a coin in the machine, the coin takes off in a spiral descent to the bottom. The system that I propose would do the same thing on a smaller scale and would capture the consumers’ attention, as well as, promote consumer education on recycling light bulbs properly. Imagine a consumer dropping a light bulb through a hole at the top and watching as it falls down a series of tilted shelves, one after the other. The bulbs would collect at the bottom and be ready for shipping to the proper recycling facility. A new container could replace the full one and the cycle would start over again. The full container could then be sent to a local recycling facility.